Hosepipe ban could come into force in NI as water usage continues to surge

NI Water said that due to the hot weather and demand from people at home due to Covid-19 restrictions demand is outstripping supply.

Des Nevin, Director of NI Water’s Customer Service Delivery, said: “If demand continues at this level it will lead to failures in our network and customers in certain areas will lose supply or suffer low pressure. Some customers over the past few days are already experiencing this, especially those on high ground.

He said that on Saturday NI Water put 705 million litres of water into its distribution system: “This is 120 million litres more than normal.”

He pointed out that a hose uses more water in one hour than the average family uses in a whole day: “While it is tempting, don’t fill swimming or paddling pools. This is a waste of a precious resource.”

Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon encouraged the public to conserve water: “Now more than ever, access to clean water to allow us to wash our hands and keep hydrated is essential.

“While we are all enjoying the good weather I am asking everyone to use water wisely at this time. With more people at home since the Covid outbreak and a prolonged spell of good weather, the demand for water has risen significantly and this is resulting in some interruptions to water supply in some areas and could result in a hosepipe ban.

She said: “Simple things like turning off sprinklers and hoses, not washing the car or refilling paddling pools and taking showers instead of baths will help. Just turning off the tap while brushing your teeth can save up to six litres of water a minute.”

Tips for Garden:

• Stop using garden hose pipes and sprinklers. Use a watering can instead of a hose to water plants. A hose uses more water in one hour than the average family uses in the whole day!

• Don’t fill swimming/paddling pools and hot tubs. This is a waste of a precious resource. Filling a 12ft swimming pool in your back yard uses the water for 500 people’s daily handwashing.

• Lawns are great survivors - a sprinkler can use as much as 1,000 litres of clean drinking water in a single hour; more than a family of four would use in a whole day. Even when they look dry and brown, they’ll spring back with the first heavy rain, so avoid watering them wherever possible.

• Buy water efficient plants - If you are buying new plants now the garden centres are open look out for water efficient plants that still brighten your garden

• Be pot savvy - If you’re potting up or planting containers, use ones made from plastic, glazed terracotta or wood. These tend to lose less water than bare terracotta. Bury a short length of pipe into your pot; if you water into the tube the water goes directly to the roots where the plant needs it most

• Mulch weeds away - Use mulches like bark chips or gravel to retain moisture and keep weeds down

Tips for House:

• Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth - A running tap can use 6 litres of water per minute.

• Make full use of your washing machine - Half load programmes on washing machines use more than half the water and energy of a full load, so wait until the machine is full before switching it on.

• Take shorter showers - Why not challenge yourself and your family to shower one minute quicker? In a year you could save up to 10,000 litres of water!

• Take a shower instead of a bath - One bath can use up to 100 litres of water, whereas an efficient shower uses under 50 litres. But remember power showers can use more water than baths.

• Car washing - Avoid washing cars and vans frequently, use a bucket and sponge